ONE: ‘Pride of Lions’ preview (Pt. 1)

ONE: “Pride of Lions” is set for the Singapore Indoor Stadium this Friday night (Nov. 13, 2015) and will feature two title fights with welterweight champion Ben Askren rematching Luis Santos in the main event and Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke making the first defense of his 115-pound strap against Yago Bryan.

The nine fight card also features a rearranged featherweight bout between former ONE 155-pound champion Kotetsu Boku and up-and-coming contender Major Overall.

Here’s my preview of the first five matchups:

145 lbs.: Nathan Ng vs. Li Kai Wen (available to view on facebook)

Li Kai Wen looked an exciting prospect when he beat two opponents in a single night to win ONE Championship’s first tournament in China. He’s only 21 and has a lot of potential to improve, but this fight is likely to be a lot harder than perhaps it looks on paper.

Nathan Ng (1-0) is a purple belt under Eddie Bravo and won his pro MMA debut courtesy of a north-south choke last year. He’s of Hong Kong descent but based in San Fransisco and is likely to have a clear advantage on the ground. Wen (3-2) has outstanding Sanda which could make this a straightforward striker vs. grappler matchup.